IMO it should be Evans and Cairney. Evans gets forward, he makes runs (which for some reason the rest of the team don't pick up). He is a mobile box to box CM, but he is best employed on the right side of a midfield 4. Which makes you wonder why NP does just swap Koren and Evans around. A midfield of Brady, Cairney, Koren and Evans would be great in this league.
Because Koren is useless and ineffective and Evans can't kick a ball properly. The midfield 4, when fit, should be Brady, McKenna, Cairney, Stewart.
Hardly. All Koren does is stand in the middle sulking he doesn't have the ball without making a lot of room for himself, tracking back, tackling, moving or doing anything. Evans is ****.
I accept your view on Evans, I like him but I can see why people think he's ineffective and subsequently '****'. Koren is his national team captain, so can't be that bad. His style is awkward to fit into the team, but I actually think he does a good job on the wing. If he was in a 2 man central midfield the opposition would rip through the middle of the park, but when he's on the wing he causes problems coming inside and putting crosses in. His goal vs Liverpool in pre-season proves what he's capable of doing.
I can see the use of Mckenna in away games, but at home i think we'd benefit with a central pairing of Evans and Cairney (with Koren in for one of the 2 sometimes). Evans looked to be trying to get forward on Saturday but was getting dragged too deep. I wasn't at Leeds so can't comment on his performance. With a midfield of Brady, Evans, Cairney and Koren we may see more attacking play, a 5 man midfield at home isn't working at all. I'd like to see Homer J given another chance up top with Matty, or even Mclean who for me looked decent when he came on on Saturday.
Koren and Geo are the same type of player, best playing behind two strikers. The thing is it ****s the formation up having a midfielder that far up the pitch and leaves holes all over the midfield. Koren is a very good footballer but he's not good enough to build a team around. Seems to me were stuck with a lot of midfield options but we don't have the right balance worked out yet. Brady and Stewart (when fit) on the wings but which 2 in centre midfield???? Koren on the wing don't work, its about time NP had worked that out.
Personally I think Koren has to be the first name on... ... the bench, not because he poor, far from it. He just isn't 'solid' enough, and would work greats as a player from the bench, either to change a game if we aren't having much look or to help kill a game off. Cairney and Evans are great, but still young. Given time they should be out center pairing until then however we dont have a 'complete' midfield. All of our midfielders are good (inc. Haper and Mckenna. Look at our record with Harper in the team.) but none of them offer everything we need. Hence why I think NP has been playing 5 in midfield. Five in midfield hasn't completely failed, we've had a lot of the ball, passed it about quite well and made a fair few chances. However with only one goal scorer on the pitch we have failed to capitalise. Our recent formation would have probably been more affective with Stewart on the opposite wing to Brady as he has the speed and guile to get into the box to support Fryatt (who besides not getting shots away has worked hard and looked committed) I've gone of topic abit but I think our recent problems are mainly down to not finding the perfect midfield combo. UTT
Were in the same position as a lot of Championship teams, a couple of players short of being a top 6 side. Getting the right couple of players into the squad and in the right positions is the hard part!
koren might drift in and out, but for the best part of the last year, gerrard from a corner or him picking up the ball from 30 yards out, have been our best and at times only chance of scoring..now gerrard has gone, that leaves him... now bullard has gone, he is our best player by a mile, everything good he has produced has been from the centre of the pitch, dont think hes ever beat a full back and put a cross in, because he is not a winger... if pearson ever works that out, then we might score at home before xmas
totally agree there mate. many fans and posters already forget that last season Gerard and Ayala did not arrive until sept and minnone and guzan october (i think) Fryatt later than that. Give NP chance to do some more deals and top 6 here we come. The squad is much better than a year ago. FACT.
he should take a leaf out of the great ones book, in the slaying of arsenal and spurs... for boateng-ash-marney geo king - cousin read cairney- mckenna -koren brady fryatt - mclean brady could have a field day, given licence to roam .......lack of width maybe but theres sod all to cross to anyway unless you play adebola..he said he was going to change things, but he probably means hel switch 1 player around, and thatl be it.
MR Tickler is spot on, theres plenty of time for a couple of incoming players...Nigel and his team will be looking for the right players to bring in....of course he can only spend what the Allams allow him so its not really down to NP if he has to make do with cheap options...
